Bible 203: Israel Wants a King!

1 Samuel 8:1-20

SETTING THE STAGE

Year ago engaged in long series

Began at the beginning > almost the beginning > began with Abraham

      We heard God’s covenant with Abram and Sarai > would be parents of whole nation

            Seemed impossible > he was 90 and she was 80 > but God did it!

            They became parents of Isaac who married Rebecca > twin sons Jacob and Esau

                        Esau faded into background

                        Jacob eventually became the father of Joseph who ended up in Egypt

                                    Which was good thing > because horrible drought hit Canaan about then

                                    Only food in that whole part of world was in Egypt

                                    Jacob and his entire family moved to Egypt

                                                And the rest, they say, is history

                                                These Hebrew people became too numerous    

                                                Their strength and numbers threatened Pharaoh

                                                Who in turn enslaved them

      Children of Israel groaned and cried under their oppression

            Finally God heard their cries and sent a man named Moses to save them

                        Which began a 40-year trek through the wilderness

                        And brought them to . . . The Promised Land

            Moses did not get to enter the Promised Land

                        for reasons that do not seem entirely fair to me

                        Joshua, his assistant, became the one chosen to lead the charge

                        In this Promised Land the Judges ruled > Deborah, Gideon, Samuel

                                    Samuel was outstanding judge > gave solid leadership

If this were a stage play, I would say that intermission came at about that point

      It was a long intermission > longer than most

            We experienced Advent and Christmas, Epiphany and Lent and Easter

            But the lights have been flashing on and off for the last couple of Sundays

            Act II is about to begin

 

ENTER SAMUEL

Samuel enters stage left > stands by himself > ‘the voice’ introduces the action

Read 1 Sam 8:1-20

Notice two important themes that weave through Act II

1.     Change was in the wind

·        That change signaled a gap between what God wanted and what people wanted

·        Some decided they wanted a king > doesn’t say all of them > a ‘contingent’

·        And doesn’t say exactly why > could be threat of Philistines nearby

·        Could be visiting traders boasted of kings they had known and loved

·        Could be they saw other kings lead their men into battle > wanted to be like them

·        Could be that people who wanted king would very likely would profit

·        Whatever their reason > request hit Samuel hard >

·        as if some came and said “You’re pushing 60 > we want new pastor > male pastor”

·        I would take it personally

·        Samuel did what I would probably do > he went immediately to God

·        Which leads to second element to remember

 

2.     People had a choice in the matter > we call it ‘free will’

·        God was not terribly surprised > “They’ve been doing this ever since Egypt ”

·        “Don’t take this personally, Sam > they’re not rejecting you; they’re rejecting me

·        “Let’s go ahead and give them what they want . . .

·         “But I want you to level with them > tell them what to expect.”

·        Debate among scholars about whether or not Samuel understood God correctly

·        Some think God wanted Samuel to line out appropriate duties of a king

·        Others think God wanted Samuel to warn them what would happen to them

·        Whatever God expected > Samuel did latter > warned them about what to expect

·        Most-used verb in these verses is “take” > king will take what you have

·        That’s exactly what happened

·        Most scholars agree this history was written 500 years later > after Solomon

·        Solomon’s reign resulted in same abuses Samuel described

·        Little by little over years > kings and people turned away from God

·        People had a choice > God supported them in their choice

·        But they had to live with the consequences

 

ENTER US

If this were a stage play

            The curtain would have fallen when God said, “Do what they say.  Give them a king.”

and we would walk out of the theater in silence > knowing that play was about us

change is happening in our lives > and we, too, have a choice

and with that knowledge > we would begin Act III > our own lives

Your life and mine

This story touches us where we live > and same two themes apply

1.              Change is in the air

We live in a world where change happens so fast we can hardly keep up with it

Change takes place in our country > and in our homes

Anytime there is change > power shifts from one to another

  Walter Brueggemann states it well > (Interpretation: First and Second Samuel)

                                     Is it possible to trust the oddness of God

              [wanted nation of Israel to be different > God wants us to be different]

              so that power need not be for taking but for sharing and giving?

                        We will see in weeks to come that Saul/David/Solomon/others TOOK

                        It would be another thousand years before King Jesus SHARED POWER

           

2.           We have a choice in the changes that confront us > we have free will

We cannot control what happens in our lives

                        Whether change involves you or someone leaving home

Whether change involves someone moving away

Whether change involves illness or death

Whether change involves new life

                  You and I have a choice!  We have free will

We can choose our response

And we can choose what part God will play in our lives

 

Ponder these two themes this week

            What change is happening in your life?

            How will you respond?